Rugby League: An Alternative Future

Supporters Direct, the umbrella organisation that promotes supporter representation at Rugby League clubs across the UK, is pleased to announce its first ever rugby league conference, to be held on Saturday October 9th 2010 at the historic George Hotel Huddersfield.

The conference, entitled “Rugby League: An Alternative Future” aims to show all rugby league supporters from across the game how they can become more involved in their sport and help to safeguard their clubs for future generations.

Featuring guest speakers from across the game, the conference will give supporters the opportunity to have their say on the future of the game, from community level to Super League.

The conference will be followed on the Sunday by the annual Supporters Direct RL Challenge Cup, a fun TAG rugby league festival open to all teams representing a supporters trust. Last years events were won by Rochdale Swarm, Trust in Widnes and Forever Reds who will all be hoping to retain the spoils in 2010.

The conference is free to attend and registration is now open. For more information and to book your place, please visit the Supporters Direct website at www.supporters-direct.org or alternatively contact Laura Harrison, Rugby League Supporters Trusts Development Officer on laura.harrison@supporters-direct.org

Supporters Direct, the umbrella organisation that promotes supporter representation at Rugby League clubs across the UK, is pleased to announce its first ever rugby league conference, to be held on Saturday October 9th 2010 at the historic George Hotel Huddersfield.

The conference, entitled “Rugby League: An Alternative Future” aims to show all rugby league supporters from across the game how they can become more involved in their sport and help to safeguard their clubs for future generations.

Featuring guest speakers from across the game, the conference will give supporters the opportunity to have their say on the future of the game, from community level to Super League.

The conference will be followed on the Sunday by the annual Supporters Direct RL Challenge Cup, a fun TAG rugby league festival open to all teams representing a supporters trust. Last years events were won by Rochdale Swarm, Trust in Widnes and Forever Reds who will all be hoping to retain the spoils in 2010.

The conference is free to attend and registration is now open. For more information and to book your place, please visit the Supporters Direct website at www.supporters-direct.org or alternatively contact Laura Harrison, Rugby League Supporters Trusts Development Officer on laura.harrison@supporters-direct.org

Would this Alternative Future include a return to auto P & R, Sky money being spread across every pro club and voting rights to enable the tail to wag the dog.

Would this Alternative Future include a return to auto P & R, Sky money being spread across every pro club and voting rights to enable the tail to wag the dog.

Alternative Past??

Isn't that the present situation? Surely we want the dog to wag the tail (ie, the RFL to make decisions and tell the clubs what they have to do, not the clubs making decisions and telling the RFL this is how it will be.).

Isn't that the present situation? Surely we want the dog to wag the tail (ie, the RFL to make decisions and tell the clubs what they have to do, not the clubs making decisions and telling the RFL this is how it will be.).

One step at a time.

We have moved to divisional weighting, but we do need to move to full RFL control with no club power at all.

Would this Alternative Future include a return to auto P & R, Sky money being spread across every pro club and voting rights to enable the tail to wag the dog.

Alternative Past??

Possibly Dave, but again possibly not. It's more likely to focus on sustainability, with the only franchising on the agenda likely to be helping supporters to have the opportunity to influence and have a stake in their club.

My own experience of dealing with Supporters Direct and supporters trusts (in soccer and RL) has been entirely positive and usually involves dealing with passionate, yet realistic, supporters that care about good governance and living within their means.

This couldn't be further from a reactionary gathering IMO.

disques vogue

The club where Eurovision isn't a dirty word. A waltz through the leopard skin lined world of Tom Jones, Bert Kampfert and Burt Bacharach. Step out to the sound of the happy hammond and swing to the seductive sounds of the samba.

Possibly Dave, but again possibly not. It's more likely to focus on sustainability, with the only franchising on the agenda likely to be helping supporters to have the opportunity to influence and have a stake in their club.

My own experience of dealing with Supporters Direct and supporters trusts (in soccer and RL) has been entirely positive and usually involves dealing with passionate, yet realistic, supporters that care about good governance and living within their means.

This couldn't be further from a reactionary gathering IMO.

Jonty is right. We will be focusing on how supporters can gain influence within their clubs in order to create more sustainable, community focussed clubs. However, our (Supporters Direct) relationship with the RFL is strong and all delegates will have the opportunity to make comments/suggestions on how they feel the game should move forward as a whole which will be passed on.

The way I see it, the more supporters trusts we have working together, the more influence we can gain over the game as a whole. After all, the supporters put a great deal of money into clubs every year through support alone so why shouldn't they have a say?

Jonty is right. We will be focusing on how supporters can gain influence within their clubs in order to create more sustainable, community focussed clubs. However, our (Supporters Direct) relationship with the RFL is strong and all delegates will have the opportunity to make comments/suggestions on how they feel the game should move forward as a whole which will be passed on.

The way I see it, the more supporters trusts we have working together, the more influence we can gain over the game as a whole. After all, the supporters put a great deal of money into clubs every year through support alone so why shouldn't they have a say?

The reality is that those supporters that can only see a return to past (failed) policies as a way forward will be very unlikely to get heavily involved with supporters direct as it requires them to listen to lots of opposing points of view and find a considered way forward. It needs a strategy that doesn't start and end with 'it's the rfl's fault'. Asking supporters for their views is the way forward, as long as the RFL are allowed to continue taking decisions for the best of the sport overall after listening to these views. We are competing with sports that have huge governing bodies (no Nigel Wood jokes please) and enormous marketing budgets, they have the press on their side and excellent corporate income streams. We need to strengthen the RFL, not weaken its power. The future of our game is in an increasingly international sport, this is the aspect of the game that attracts the uncommitted.

Rugby League is a sport that desperately needs to expand its geographical supporter base and its player base. This imperative means that all other requirements are secondary until this is done.

All power in the game should be with governing bodies, especially international governing bodies.

Without these actions we will remain a minor sport internationally and nationally.